Amusement apparatus



Feb. 26; 1929. f. #W356i i J B. WATLING v uusuEnr APPARATUS l Filed Nov.22, 1925 2 Shoots-Skiset 2 Ilm di!! Y MYMFM* $52,;

Patented eb. 26, 1929. n

UNITED STATESl PAT-ENT foFFlcE.

,f JOHN B. Wurm-G, oF cncAeo, ILLIN'ois.

kalszuslinmnm ABPARATUS'.

Applica/cien med mynnier 22, 1.923.y seriai No) 676,251.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus of the coin-controlledtype but more particularly to fortune-telling devices in which theoperator may select any one of a number of available questions y and`the mechanism will display an answer to the question selected. v

The primary object of the present linvention is to provide a novel andingenious'device of the type described which is simple in constructionand capable of withstanding hard use. *y Y Theparticular embodiment offmy invention which I have chosen toi'll'ustrate the principles 'thereofweighing scale of. well-known ty 'e andthe mechanism is so constructedan arranged that a single coinwill causeth'e apparatus. to

, register' the weight of the operator and` an# 'swer a vselectedvquestion; Y

The many other objects `and'"advantages of my' invention will'be' betterunderstood by referencel .to the kfollowi'r'i'g specification 'whenjc'zonsidered` in 'connection with 'the' accompanyingdr'awings, in whichl. v

Fig. 1 is a front elevationof a .portion 'of the appa1atus,and

' Fig., 2Q is a rear elevation of the apparatus with wall of casino'removed, showing' the fortune-tellinginecanism. l y

drawings', 'the apparatus Referring to [the isisubstantially enclosedinA a casing 1Q provided with. an arcuate vopenil'tgg or window 4 llhtoVexpose the', vvei`,{ hingA scalemclifalVH 12. "The coin slotis'l'ocatedat 13.v I Awind'ow 14 exposes a segment of the inner or'question Vring l5` on. the revoluble dial 16.l Axsimi'la-r window 17Iexposesa segment of theouter or answer ring 18 on the dial'16." An'oper-Y the front of theca'si'ng.

ating knob 19 lis connected tothe outer' end of `a revoluble shaft20'projectingthrough The weighing mechanism ism@ 'Snowman detailv asthis mechanism'forrns no part'of lthe present invention. A Vcoininserted in theslot 13 .actuates a rockA arm`21 to release theyratchet/'or toothed" wheel 22 controlling this mechanism, Oneextre'mityof this rock arm is provided with ia, coin. pocket 23`disposed beneaththe lower end connected .to the coin slot. yThe Weight of f the coincauseslth-e pocketedfendI of. this arin to swing downwardly and liftthepawl 25 from the ratchetk wheel.

latter being mounted on the outerendof van yis incorporated .inV a fries vat its outer end a Vsl'nl'tter'44 tono'rfmally of the chute 24y IThe continued w downward movement of this' arm permits- Vthe coin YtoVdrop 00in Chute 26. y

i At the bottom of Vthe chutel second coin pocket27 on the extremity ofa rock arm 28, pivotally mounted on thefsupportg'V ingframe 29 at 30.This arm 28 is normally held with the pocket k27 in the position.indicated in solidvlincs in Fig. 2 by the spring 31' and thecounterbalancing weight 32, the

imm -the pocket into', the

extension 33 of the arm. Astop 34V rejects laterally from this arm andis norma ly held in Cposition to engage a catch 35v on the inner,- en

of a lever 36. This catchispivotalzly connected to vthelever at k37. vAspring 38 rnormally holds they inner end of the catch 35againstfthefstoppin 391011 the leverv'. The catch 35 preventsI the lever'3G-from ,swinging` downwardlyI when v the stop 34 yis in its normalposition,v as indicated in Fg'2.

4Rocking of the' arm 2,8' in the manner, .de-

scribed, releases the vvstop from thevv catch 35. l

yAs soon as a coinhasbeen' emptied fromthe pocket 2.7 into the coin box40, the 'spring 31 Vand.` the counterweight 32 cause the ar'm28'l toreturn to its normal position. V;"I lie ward movementl vof the lever'k36 pasty the stop 34 is permittedgby rockingfof the .Catch 35-upo`n itspivot.l l i The leveriis pivotallyconnected to the frame 29 at 41 and'asecond-.Iever 42 viscon ynected to'y the-inner endofthe lever' 36 toformvr therewith substantially a bell crank. The outer extremity 43 of,this lever 42 is bent forwardly and' then inwardly 'and carclos'e thewinden Q17 and conceal the answer which are inscribed the questions andanswers, as previously described. l l

A shortlever 52 ispivotally mounted on the frame at 53 and'one end ofthis lever is provided with a roller 54 which operates upon theperiphery of the sprocket 49fand is 'held in yielding' engagementtherewith by the spring 55j.v 'Thefsprocket act'sras a camandth'erjo'ller' as a camfolloweri sc ,that ro tation ofthesprocketirnparta rocking ino-a '110 y tion to the lever 52. An arm 56projects downwardly from the lever 52 and has its lower extremityconnected to the lever 42 by a link 57. The forcing outwardly oit theroller 54 by a tooth of the sprocket causes the Y lever 42 to swing in aclockwise direction and to move the shutter 44 to closed position. rilhecatch 35 permits the outer end of the lever 36 to swing past the stop 34but prevents the dropping of the lever past this stop when the roller 54enters the next depression between the teeth on the sprocket 49. Vifhenthe stop is withdrawn 'troni the catch 35 by the downward movement etthe arm 28 in the manner described, the lever 42 swings in acounterclockwise direction by force ot gravity and moif'es the shutter44 to bring the opening 58 in this shutter into registration with theopening or window 17 in the front panel or mirror of the casing l0,exposing the particular answer to tie question exhibited througli thewindow 14. This counterelockwise movement ot the lever 42 is permittedby the slot 59 in the link 57, and the extent ot such movement isdetermined by the guide 45. rlfhe lever 42 is shown in solid lines 2) inclosed shutter position and the open shutter position is indicated indot. The slot 59 in the link 57 also permits movement 'of the arm 5Gcaused by the continuous rotation or the shaft 20 without materiallymoving the lever 42 when'this lever has been brought to Closed shutterposition. i spring-actuated chainstightening Vdevice 60 is pivotallymounted on the frame 29 as 6l, the yroller er idler pulley k62`maintaining constant pressure upon the chain, as indicated in 2.

ln the present embodiment ofthe invention, there are thirty-two teeth onthe sprocket 49 connected. to the dial' 16. The ring 18 containing theanswers Vis divided into thirty-two equal segments, corresponding :tothe number ol teeth on the sprocket 49,'v a different answer beingplaced in eachk The question ring l5 is similarlysegment. Y divided intothirty-two equal segments with one quest-ion in each segment, but thereare only eight different questions, each quadrant having the saineseries of questions and arranged in the same order. It will thereforevbe evident that tour answers are provided 'toi' each question. Theanswers are so prepared and located (hat an aijipropriale one will beimposed for each. question asked.

lprefer to have the number ol answers a iiiviilthe same time broughtinto registration with the Window 17 but remains concealed until .on thedial l2 in the usual manne-r.

the operator has dropped a coin .in the slot 13. The descending coin inturn renders the weighing` apparatus operative and causes the shutter 44to be moved to open position, exposing the answer. The pointer G3 of'the weigliing apparatus indicates the weight is soon the knob is turnedagain to tlieright to change the question, the shutter 44 is trippedland returns to its normal position, closing the answer opening. V f

lt will be readily evident that this device is amusing and oiers aninducement to the public'to use the weighing scale. The censtruction issimple, strong, and fully capable oit withstanding the hard usage towhich such a device is subjected. The dial may be readily eli'znged atany time to provide a new set of questions and answers.v The arrangementofthe questions and answers upon the 'same dialis advantageous.

l am aware` that many changes may be made in the construction andarrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention,and I reserve the right to make all such as fairly fall within the scopeof the following claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a. device of the class described, a housing having two openingstherein', a rotatable disk member arranged Within the housing and havingportions visible through the openings, means for manually operating saiddisk member, al shutteigda coin-controlled trip device for holding theshutter in'position to obstruct the view ot the disk member through oneopening, said tripdevice operable upon insertion of a coin to releasethe shutter,and means actuated upon rotation of the disk member adaptedtov reengage the shutter with said trip device after eacli` o eninu oeration.

2. vln an apparatus of the class described,

the combination of a casing providedlwith a plurality of windowstherein, a manually revoluble dial 1n the casing 'having a series yotquestions thereon adapted to be succes-V sively brought into positionbefore one of Vsaid windows andv a' series of answers on said dialadapted to be successively brought into position before another of'saidwindows, a shutter adapted to normally conceal the answer insaidposition and adapted to move by gravity to expose the answer,l

means Vlor releasing the shutter to permit movement thereof by gravityto expose the answer, and means to move the shutter'to closed positionupon presenting another question before a window.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination ot a casingprovided with a plurality of windows therein, a revoluble ldial withinthe casing having a series ol questions thereon adapted to besuccessively brought into position before one of said windows, a knobfor manually rotatingthe dial and a series of answers on said dialshutter adapted to normally conceal the answer in said position andadapted to move by gravity to expose the answer, coincontrolled meansfor locking the shutter in the concealing,` position and adaptedv to bereleased upon the insertion of a coin to permit movement of the shutterby gravityto expose the answer, and means to return .the shutter toaconcealing position upon operation o the knob. Y f

4. In apparatus ofthe class described, the combination of a casingprovided with a plurality of windows thereinpa manually revoluble dialin 'the casing havingV a series of questions thereon adaptedto be'succes sively brought into position before one of into position beforeanother of saidl Win- 2o .saidwindows and a lseries of answers on saiddial adapted to be successively broughtV dows,` a shutter adapted tonormally conceal the answer in said position andV adapted to move bygravity to exposev the answer7 coin controlledmeans for locking theshutter in concealing position and adapted to release theshutter topermit movement thereof by gravity toexpose the answer upon insertion ofacoin, and means co-operable between the shutter and the dial tov causethe shutterto `'move to closed positionv to conceal the an-Y swer, saidmeans also permitting rotation of l the dial independently of theshutter and coin-controlled'mechanism when the shutteris in la closedvposition, t'

' Y JOI-INE. WATLING.

